Description
Fiction. Romance. Humor (Fiction.) HTML: Charming, hilarious, and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best! Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she's out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a 'thanks, but no thanks'. As the business administrator for their family's event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele. As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company's CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago. As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn't until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson's secretive past and London's struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands - not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too..… (more)
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Macmillan Audio (2022)
User reviews
LibraryThing member kmartin802
This was an entertaining contemporary romance. London Spark runs the Spark House - a small boutique hotel that also hosts events - with her two sisters. Her sister Avery (When Sparks Fly) is in the middle of planning her wedding leaving her sisters London and Harley to pick up the slack. They are
When Holt Media calls offering a relationship that would be very beneficial for the hotel, it is London who is stuck taking the meeting. When the CEO of the company billionaire Jackson Holt takes over the meeting, it takes a while for London to realize that he is the same cute guy she turned down a couple of months earlier when he spotted her in a bar and asked her out.
Now they are working together and both of them are falling in love but trying to keep things all-business while they are working together. This causes lots of miscommunication and misinterpretation of motives as they are beginning their relationship.
Jackson's people are worried for him because they think London might just be using him for his business connections. Things really come to a crisis point when an old girlfriend who is also a social media influencer seems to be getting between the two of them.
I liked the story. Both main characters were interesting people who were both a little gunshy when it came to relationships. I liked London's relationship with her sisters even though their relationship was going through some upheaval because of the changes at Spark House.
Fans of contemporary romance will enjoy this story.
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all feeling pretty overwhelmed. London is the sister who puts everyone else first and she is starting to feel really stressed that she can't concentrate on the more creative parts of the hotel and her own Etsy shop, but is stuck with the business and finance aspects of the hotel. When Holt Media calls offering a relationship that would be very beneficial for the hotel, it is London who is stuck taking the meeting. When the CEO of the company billionaire Jackson Holt takes over the meeting, it takes a while for London to realize that he is the same cute guy she turned down a couple of months earlier when he spotted her in a bar and asked her out.
Now they are working together and both of them are falling in love but trying to keep things all-business while they are working together. This causes lots of miscommunication and misinterpretation of motives as they are beginning their relationship.
Jackson's people are worried for him because they think London might just be using him for his business connections. Things really come to a crisis point when an old girlfriend who is also a social media influencer seems to be getting between the two of them.
I liked the story. Both main characters were interesting people who were both a little gunshy when it came to relationships. I liked London's relationship with her sisters even though their relationship was going through some upheaval because of the changes at Spark House.
Fans of contemporary romance will enjoy this story.
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LibraryThing member CathyGeha
Starry-Eyed love by Helena Hunting
Spark House #2
Three sisters in business together running a hotel that has been in their family for three generations are the stars of this series. First came Avery in a friends-to-lovers story in book one. This is London’s story and she meets Jackson, turns him
What I liked:
* The sisters: strong, independent, intelligent, a team that works well together…for the most part
* The setting: Colorado, the hotel, New York
* London: smart, puts her family first, there for her sisters, creative, capable, verbalizes her feelings, quite taken with Jackson
* Jackson: businessman, environmentalist, billionaire, assists small businesses grow, interesting, glad karma stepped in
* That I felt Jackson and London were well matched and would do well together
* Trevor, Mitchell, and others that Jackson has working for him
* The idea of networking and how Jackson helped Spark House grow
* The fairytale feel that occurred at times
* The inevitable split that occurred and how it was resolved
* Selene: influencer, works with Jackson, is bigger and more giving than I thought she would be
* Wondering if Trevor will get a book of his own
* Thinking about who might work as a romantic lead with Harley
* That I felt invested in the outcome and cared about the characters
What I didn’t like:
* The mean-girl types that impacted London’s take on the situation
* The misunderstandings and communication issues that lead to the expected breakup
* Thinking about how the loss of parents impacts children
* Avery’s inability to see what her sisters were traying to tell her
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC – This is my honest revies.
4-5 Stars
Spark House #2
Three sisters in business together running a hotel that has been in their family for three generations are the stars of this series. First came Avery in a friends-to-lovers story in book one. This is London’s story and she meets Jackson, turns him
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down, and karma steps in to see them meet again and give them another chance at a happily ever after ending. I am guessing book three will be Harley’s story and that will be the end of the three sister’s stories although, if the author wanted to, she could continue with stories that occur at Spark House (hotel). What I liked:
* The sisters: strong, independent, intelligent, a team that works well together…for the most part
* The setting: Colorado, the hotel, New York
* London: smart, puts her family first, there for her sisters, creative, capable, verbalizes her feelings, quite taken with Jackson
* Jackson: businessman, environmentalist, billionaire, assists small businesses grow, interesting, glad karma stepped in
* That I felt Jackson and London were well matched and would do well together
* Trevor, Mitchell, and others that Jackson has working for him
* The idea of networking and how Jackson helped Spark House grow
* The fairytale feel that occurred at times
* The inevitable split that occurred and how it was resolved
* Selene: influencer, works with Jackson, is bigger and more giving than I thought she would be
* Wondering if Trevor will get a book of his own
* Thinking about who might work as a romantic lead with Harley
* That I felt invested in the outcome and cared about the characters
What I didn’t like:
* The mean-girl types that impacted London’s take on the situation
* The misunderstandings and communication issues that lead to the expected breakup
* Thinking about how the loss of parents impacts children
* Avery’s inability to see what her sisters were traying to tell her
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC – This is my honest revies.
4-5 Stars
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LibraryThing member Madison_Fairbanks
Starry-eyed Love by Helena Hunting
2nd book in the Spark House series. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. This is the second sister’s story and will be a spoiler if the first book was not read. Multiple POV with 80% by London and 20% by Jackson. First person present tense.
Hailey
I loved the instant chemistry from the start and what feels like fate bringing them together. The sisters dedication to the business and each other is admirable and without spoilers, their “talk”should have been earlier but at least it was finally done. And I didn’t really agree with the drama at the height of it (throwing a quarter million dollar necklace at his feet was a crime for the faceted sparkle!) but it’s a romance book and everything can’t go right all the time or it would be a boring book. Right?
I enjoyed the sisters closeness and look forward to reading the romance of the next sister.
Delightful, a bit steamy, and a fabulous ending with epilogue.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
2nd book in the Spark House series. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. This is the second sister’s story and will be a spoiler if the first book was not read. Multiple POV with 80% by London and 20% by Jackson. First person present tense.
Hailey
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and her sisters run an Hotel that specializes specifically in Events and focusing on promoting green habits. Jackson brings his company to the Sparks Hotel and he and London can’t resist the chemistry and attraction they both feel. I loved the instant chemistry from the start and what feels like fate bringing them together. The sisters dedication to the business and each other is admirable and without spoilers, their “talk”should have been earlier but at least it was finally done. And I didn’t really agree with the drama at the height of it (throwing a quarter million dollar necklace at his feet was a crime for the faceted sparkle!) but it’s a romance book and everything can’t go right all the time or it would be a boring book. Right?
I enjoyed the sisters closeness and look forward to reading the romance of the next sister.
Delightful, a bit steamy, and a fabulous ending with epilogue.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: Charming, hilarious, and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best!
Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So
As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.
As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn’t until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands—not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: It's a very, very different experience to read a straight-people romance than my usual M/M reads. In this case, I think I came in after some character work had already been done in the first Spark House book, When Sparks Fly, on this entry's PoV character. London Spark, to those who might not know her from before, is a rather serious-minded and goal-oriented participant in a family enterprise called Spark House. It is an event hotel-cum-venue, and London has somehow been foisted the job of numbers lady. She's not a natural number-cruncher but she knows about sacrificing for a greater goal and gets her considerable wits marshaled to the task of making the finances run.
I, like all other readers, am meeting Jackson the love interest with London. He lets her know he's interested without being more than ordinarily persistent. She declines; he leaves her possessed of his details and accepts his rejection without drama. So far, so good. When a time has passed and Spark House attracts business interest from a tech-bro investor, one who's made to sound like Elon only hot, absolutely not one soul is surprised it's Jackson the rejected suitor.
We know this drill: what's going to happen, the misunderstandings, the idiotic miscommunications, the resolution of HEA or HFN; so the point of reading this book is *how* not what.
The satisfaction of a superior craftworker's results is this very thing. Now, the M/M romance world will usually have something very sexy pretty early. Not so this book. London's been burned and isn't in a huge hurry to try the waters with a tech bro. She is, once he shows back up as a potential financing source, perfectly happy to work with him. They come to know each other, and the readers each of them, as their work brings out facets of their lives quite naturally and unforcedly. Again to no one's surprise Jackson is a good guy, and he's got a solid head on his shoulders; he comes to like and respect London, he fully engages with her as an equal in business (if one with different skills from his); the result is a slow-burn low-steam character study of two young people whose lives are pressurized by goals instead of ambitions.
Why I enjoyed reading it enough to rate it more than a solid three or possibly three-and-a-half stars of five was London's affectionate but exasperated relationships with older sister Avery and younger sister Harley. They were...warm. They didn't ring swords of wit in battles for prominence, they half-ribbed and three-quarters snarked and generally behaved the way friends do. It worked to give me a sense of their bond that was less intense than the Three Musketeers and more positive than the Three Stooges but still very real.
You can't go wrong with a read that does this kind of work when one accidentally reads book two in a series. I am glad I spent time with the Spark family.
The Publisher Says: Charming, hilarious, and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best!
Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So
Show More
when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. As the business administrator for their family’s event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele.As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.
As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn’t until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands—not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: It's a very, very different experience to read a straight-people romance than my usual M/M reads. In this case, I think I came in after some character work had already been done in the first Spark House book, When Sparks Fly, on this entry's PoV character. London Spark, to those who might not know her from before, is a rather serious-minded and goal-oriented participant in a family enterprise called Spark House. It is an event hotel-cum-venue, and London has somehow been foisted the job of numbers lady. She's not a natural number-cruncher but she knows about sacrificing for a greater goal and gets her considerable wits marshaled to the task of making the finances run.
I, like all other readers, am meeting Jackson the love interest with London. He lets her know he's interested without being more than ordinarily persistent. She declines; he leaves her possessed of his details and accepts his rejection without drama. So far, so good. When a time has passed and Spark House attracts business interest from a tech-bro investor, one who's made to sound like Elon only hot, absolutely not one soul is surprised it's Jackson the rejected suitor.
We know this drill: what's going to happen, the misunderstandings, the idiotic miscommunications, the resolution of HEA or HFN; so the point of reading this book is *how* not what.
The satisfaction of a superior craftworker's results is this very thing. Now, the M/M romance world will usually have something very sexy pretty early. Not so this book. London's been burned and isn't in a huge hurry to try the waters with a tech bro. She is, once he shows back up as a potential financing source, perfectly happy to work with him. They come to know each other, and the readers each of them, as their work brings out facets of their lives quite naturally and unforcedly. Again to no one's surprise Jackson is a good guy, and he's got a solid head on his shoulders; he comes to like and respect London, he fully engages with her as an equal in business (if one with different skills from his); the result is a slow-burn low-steam character study of two young people whose lives are pressurized by goals instead of ambitions.
Why I enjoyed reading it enough to rate it more than a solid three or possibly three-and-a-half stars of five was London's affectionate but exasperated relationships with older sister Avery and younger sister Harley. They were...warm. They didn't ring swords of wit in battles for prominence, they half-ribbed and three-quarters snarked and generally behaved the way friends do. It worked to give me a sense of their bond that was less intense than the Three Musketeers and more positive than the Three Stooges but still very real.
You can't go wrong with a read that does this kind of work when one accidentally reads book two in a series. I am glad I spent time with the Spark family.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Inishowen_Cailin
A Starry-Eyed Love is a lighthearted and charming romance with two very appealing main characters, London and Jackson. Jackson in particular is adorable and I loved how he found reasons to work with London just so he could spend his day with her, much to the bemusement of his employees and business
Not everything is plain sailing for the pair. Miscommunication is a key component of all disharmony between London and Jackson. The drama surrounding Selene would not have been as big a deal if Jackson had communicated better.
The story is written with a dual point of view and I always feel like I get to know the characters better when it's written this way. I could understand Jackson's cautious approach to dating London while they were working together and I got a glimpse of all the angst she was feeling because Jackson was sending mixed signals.
London also has some family issues of her own to deal with. Running Spark House is exhausting her and convincing Avery to hire help is difficult. Something has to give.
I was surprised at how intractable Avery was and how oblivious she was to the needs of her sisters as she was such a lovely character in book one.
The story concludes in a feel-good heartwarming way and I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy provided by the publisher.
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partners. Their interactions were very sweet and often hilarious. London isn't always very graceful in speech or demeanour and this leads to a few humorous and awkward moments between her and Jackson. More fun can be found in their online exchanges while they were both working on updating the same document. I loved reading their teasing banter!Not everything is plain sailing for the pair. Miscommunication is a key component of all disharmony between London and Jackson. The drama surrounding Selene would not have been as big a deal if Jackson had communicated better.
The story is written with a dual point of view and I always feel like I get to know the characters better when it's written this way. I could understand Jackson's cautious approach to dating London while they were working together and I got a glimpse of all the angst she was feeling because Jackson was sending mixed signals.
London also has some family issues of her own to deal with. Running Spark House is exhausting her and convincing Avery to hire help is difficult. Something has to give.
I was surprised at how intractable Avery was and how oblivious she was to the needs of her sisters as she was such a lovely character in book one.
The story concludes in a feel-good heartwarming way and I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy provided by the publisher.
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LibraryThing member FlowerchildReads
I’m so excited to tell y’all about Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting, the sweet, sexy romance that you’re going to want on your summer reading list! When I got the opportunity for an early read from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley I didn’t hesitate.
London Spark runs Spark House, an Inn
This is the second in the Spark House series but Starry-Eyed Love is fine as a read alone. Helena Hunting does a seamless job giving enough background on characters and storyline, but doesn’t get bogged down in retelling the first book. I enjoyed the first in the series, When Sparks Fly, but think this second book is Helena Hunting at her best. I thought the delayed romance hit just the right tone, it felt honest and believable. I loved the relationship between the sisters, their frustrations, their ability to see each other and cut through the noise.
This is a fantastic summer read for holidays and vacation, by the lake/pool/beach or your backyard. I recommend for lovers of HEA, romance, and contemporary women’s fiction.
London Spark runs Spark House, an Inn
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and event space in Colorado, together with her sisters. Having just come out of a long term relationship London is quick to turn down the handsome stranger who asks her own during a girls night out. This becomes awkward when the handsome stranger, Jackson Holt, turns out to be the very wealthy owner of the company who wants to partner with Spark House, moving them forward to the next level. Can London and Jackson work around their undeniable attraction, staying professional? Can two sisters convince the third that they can maintain the integrity of a ‘family business’ and bring in the additional help they so desperately need?This is the second in the Spark House series but Starry-Eyed Love is fine as a read alone. Helena Hunting does a seamless job giving enough background on characters and storyline, but doesn’t get bogged down in retelling the first book. I enjoyed the first in the series, When Sparks Fly, but think this second book is Helena Hunting at her best. I thought the delayed romance hit just the right tone, it felt honest and believable. I loved the relationship between the sisters, their frustrations, their ability to see each other and cut through the noise.
This is a fantastic summer read for holidays and vacation, by the lake/pool/beach or your backyard. I recommend for lovers of HEA, romance, and contemporary women’s fiction.
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LibraryThing member ftbooklover
London Spark is enjoying an evening out with her sisters, celebrating being single again, when a handsome bearded man picks up the tab and asks London for a date. She is dumbfounded and refuses, but weeks later she finds herself in a business meeting with CEO Jackson Holt whose company wants to
Starry-Eyed Love is a pretty typical romance with very little conflict until near the end of the book. The story would have benefited a great deal with more humor and/or steam, however without either of those things, the middle of the book is fairly mundane, leading to a third act conflict that does evoke emotion but is overly dramatic and much too easily solved. The friction between the sisters in dealing with their business affairs does add a layer of interest to the plot, but overall, Starry-Eyed Love is an average, mostly forgettable romance.
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partner with Spark House, and London realizes that Jackson is that bearded stranger. They begin a business, then personal relationship that seems perfect, but there are troubled times ahead in London's professional relationship with her sisters and her romance with Jackson.Starry-Eyed Love is a pretty typical romance with very little conflict until near the end of the book. The story would have benefited a great deal with more humor and/or steam, however without either of those things, the middle of the book is fairly mundane, leading to a third act conflict that does evoke emotion but is overly dramatic and much too easily solved. The friction between the sisters in dealing with their business affairs does add a layer of interest to the plot, but overall, Starry-Eyed Love is an average, mostly forgettable romance.
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LibraryThing member rmarcin
London Spark and her sisters are enjoying a night out when an extremely attractive man pays for their food and drinks and gives her his number. Since she just broke up with her boyfriend, she refuses the offer. However 3 months later, Spark House is given an opportunity to partner with a large
The attraction between the two is undeniable, but Jackson is trying to keep it professional. However, he slips and from then on, they can't stay apart. Yet, London believes he is holding something back, plus she has loads of responsibility at Spark House that she doesn't know if she can manage it all.. Everything comes to a head when a woman that he had a relationship with tells him that she was hoping for more. London doesn't want to be the other woman, so she needs to leave.
Will they be able to find their way back to each other, and to be honest with each other?
Another Spark House romance - now the 2nd sister has her chance at love. This is another sweet romance, with some steamy love scenes, and emotions flying high. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to sister #3 getting her chance!
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firm. London handles presentations, and at this meeting, handsome Jackson Holt, CEO, sees her, and decides to join the meeting. Of course, he is the man she refused months earlier. The attraction between the two is undeniable, but Jackson is trying to keep it professional. However, he slips and from then on, they can't stay apart. Yet, London believes he is holding something back, plus she has loads of responsibility at Spark House that she doesn't know if she can manage it all.. Everything comes to a head when a woman that he had a relationship with tells him that she was hoping for more. London doesn't want to be the other woman, so she needs to leave.
Will they be able to find their way back to each other, and to be honest with each other?
Another Spark House romance - now the 2nd sister has her chance at love. This is another sweet romance, with some steamy love scenes, and emotions flying high. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to sister #3 getting her chance!
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Language
Original language
English